“A Dark Place Inside” DVD (director: Mike O’Mahony)

(Serial) killer micro-indie

So, my expectations here were quite low, I don’t mind stating. The other films that arrived at Goatsden HQ from Sector 5 were pretty, shall I say, hideous, derivative, and unwatchable. Not the case here. “A Dark Place Inside” is a supremely sick and repugnant serial killer flick, with a believable villain (played well by newcomer Chris Dalbey), great camerawork, and a story that’s harrowing yet magnetic. 

So, the gist of “A Dark Place Inside” isn’t too complex. Loner Andy (played by Dalbey) works a menial job, has no social life, and spends his spare time stalking and brutally murdering women, some of which he dismembers and brings home to “admire”. Sure, some of the gore effects are a bit cheesy and visibly low budget, but the point is driven home well that Andy is one troubled individual. We’re shown interspersed clips of Andy’s childhood, and his brutal torture at the hands of his abusive father, so as to explain his predilection for cruel and inhuman acts.

Along the film’s trajectory, we meet some of Andy’s annoying coworkers, and even get a brief glimpse of something that could almost resemble a flirtation with romance, before our anti-hero lapses again into his murderous ways. Director (and writer and producer) O’Mahony does an admirable job with this one, and I actually enjoyed it. Well-done serial killer horror on a shoestring budget.? See, it can be done.

Sector 5 Entertainment

This Hollow Sacrament" DVD (director: Greg Stechman)

Part of the "Bloody Evil" bound budget 4-pack (often a quick sign of trouble), this cheapie micro-indie has so many issues, I don't know where to begin. It's a serial killer flick, completed by flat, robotic soap-level acting, casting issues (why is the supposed 13 year-old about 30-ish?), and a generic script. An ex-soldier, now a detective, is hot on the lead of a slayer of young women in Northern California. And, get this, it's "based on true events". Stop me if you've heard this one before...

Compared to the serial killer mainstays ("Se7en", "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer", "Silence Of The Lambs"), this one seems just plain mild, and even playing safe. The gore, while prominent, is cheesy and forced, even. I dunno, but this one lost my interest really quickly and never got it back. Unearthed FIlms needs to bury this aimless cheese-fest back in the litter box, where it belongs. 

(Unearthed Films)